I don't agree, Schmo, I think Ajax does have a conscience and his impulse is to care about people. I know it sounds weird but it's the same for my RWFY. This board and other more extreme venues he may frequent are his way of blowing off steam. He doesn't want to care, but he does. Whisky can tell you all about people like this. I got into a scuff-up the other day with RWFY, I'm very disappointed in myself for caving but I did. I recommended to him that he join ICE. He didn't get the point, another reason for me to do better in the future, but the point was he wouldn't be able to do it. No way could he snatch a kid at school or out of bed, put them in cuffs, and off to detention. Milgram experiments considered, I'd put my money that Ajax couldn't either. It's much easier to fill in a dot on a piece of paper to tell other people to do the dirty work while you create a narrative for yourself that makes reality palatable.
There are a couple who have been on this board who I do think have no conscience, I'll hold that to myself, I mention it so as not to sound like I'd 'redeem' everyone in that way. In a way, it's worse. RMWY should do much better as a person given he does care about people. While he has done many good things on a personal level, he's done some incredibly bad things also, both personally and through his toxic beliefs via collective action, especially if you take his Christian values into consideration. What's hilarious when you take RMWY's religion into account, and the ace in the hole that wins the argument for me, is that on virtually every topic that could be conceived as political his pastor's beliefs are closer to mine than his own. I would put money that Ajax's bishop doesn't hold the same beliefs that Ajax proffers on this forum.
It's far from the truth that I'd ever try to convince Ajax there isn't a God, I hope that the good that I know is left in Mormonism on community (not leadership) level helps him repent one day.
Lost Gospel of Thomas 1:8 - And Jesus said, "what about the Pharisees? They did it too! Wherefore, we shall do it even more!"
You may be right, Gad, and I agree that it's worse to be a MAGAte who quashes their conscience for the sake of the "movement" than those that don't have a conscience in the first place.
There was a time when I thought ajax could be moved. I no longer believe that, and put him on ignore as soon as I accepted he was immovable. Some people's internal narrative will always win out over "smack you in the face" reality.
Religion is for people whose existential fear is greater than their common sense.
No, you're actually right. I'm not sure why you would have ever thought I could be moved to embrace open borders or democratic socialism. I'd have no problem reuniting illegal immigrant families in their native countries, even if I had to serve as an ICE agent myself.
I would put money that Ajax's bishop doesn't hold the same beliefs that Ajax proffers on this forum.
My bishop actually told me that he now understands why it was wrong for him to baptize and illegal immigrant as a missionary, and he's half latino. My stake president broke into a belly laugh when I sang, "Walking in a Welfare Wonderland," at the ward Christmas party. I'm more worried that the Hindus were right about eating beef being a sin, than I am that God will tell me that we were wrong for having a border and enforcing it.
And when the Confederates saw Jackson standing fearless like a stonewall, the army of Northern Virginia took courage and drove the federal army off their land.
My apologies to Gad for the further derail, but I think it's worth posting about, and I think it kind of ties into people seeking alternative investments outside of the US Dollar.
Alongside gold's record highs (now over $4,200 for the first time ever), silver has passed $50 for the first time in history. It got close when the Hunt brothers tried to corner the market, and then again on the tail of the Great Recession, but it never cleared that hurdle. Now, it has not only made it past that point of resistance, but is right on the doorstep of $53 (up over a dollar just today).
Similarly, the U.S. Dollar Index was over 107 when Trump was sworn into office. It's currently sitting at 98.80.
Silver has now passed $80 (currently 81.6540).
Congratulations to everyone who bought a bunch of silver when Biden was president, because they thought he'd be the one to tank the US's economy and cause global instability. You were right in concept, just missed it by one presidency.
Well I'll be damned, crypto may have found a use case and the present administration might yet live up to the hype. Bitcoin has been sagging, Microstrategy is under water, and alt coins have been getting wiped off the map, but over the last few days, the market is finding resistance. Iran is purportedly demanding bitcoin tolls for passing through the Straight. Whether or not they're really making it work, the suggestion is sending a powerful signal to the market. Bitcoin originated as a black-market currency, and a world in chaos and the current world power as an unreliable and hostile player is the perfect case for decentralized currency.
Bitcoin itself isn't a great choice due to its public ledger, and institutional adoption goes counter to the this ideal use case for any crypto, but if anything is going to work, this should be it. The biggest hurdle may be exchanges. Governments can put pressure on exchanges, and so the crypto world needs to become self-reliant. Highly connected economies need to arise without needing cash entrances and exists. It's a big job, but destroying the world to make crypto soar just might work.
Lost Gospel of Thomas 1:8 - And Jesus said, "what about the Pharisees? They did it too! Wherefore, we shall do it even more!"
